“What about the alt-left that came charging at, as you say, the alt-right, do they have any semblance of guilt?” Trump said. “What about the fact they came charging with clubs in hands, swinging clubs, do they have any problem, I think they do.”

He added: “You had a group on one side that was bad and you had a group on the other side that was also very violent. nobody wants to say it, but I will say it right now.”

Trump defended his 48-hour delay in denouncing white supremacists, arguing that he took his time because he didn’t know the facts.